General Assembly Session 52 meeting 74

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Germany to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.68.

Mr. Eitel (Germany)

I am pleased to introduce draft resolution A/52/L.68 on Afghanistan under agenda items 20 (c) and 43. I would like to thank all those delegations that have participated in the joint effort leading to the presentation of today's text. The draft is also sponsored by the following Member States: Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uzbekistan. After our draft was submitted, the following States inscribed themselves as sponsors: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burundi, Chile, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Fiji, Hungary, Iceland, Malta, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

We welcome very much the fact that all the European Union (EU) countries are among the sponsors of the text. Since the draft resolution will not be put to the vote today, we invite other United Nations Member States that have not yet done so to join the group of sponsors.

Germany is grateful for its long-standing, friendly and close relations with the Afghan people. This is why we deeply regret that the past year has not brought war-torn Afghanistan closer to peace. The parties have continued to fight and they still seem to believe, against all evidence to the contrary, in the possibility of a military solution. While the fighting over the past 12 months has not changed the balance of power, it has caused further large-scale human suffering and economic destruction. Concerning human rights, especially those of women and girls, the situation remains appalling.

With the intransigence of the Afghan parties and ongoing foreign interference fuelling the war, the United Nations has been and continues to be on what looks like a "mission impossible" in Afghanistan. We are grateful to the Secretary-General; to Mr. Norbert Holl, the outgoing head of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, and his team; and to Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi for having lost neither commitment nor courage in these difficult circumstances. We welcome the Secretary-General's initiative to muster increased international support for bringing about peace in Afghanistan.

Germany will remain a strong and active supporter of the United Nations effort in Afghanistan. We also follow closely activities of influential Afghan individuals and organizations, within the framework of the so-called Frankfurt process, with a view to preparing the ground for an intra-Afghan dialogue. In terms of humanitarian assistance, Germany has consistently been one of the major donors to Afghanistan. Since 1993, we have provided more than DM 58 million to that country. We also contribute roughly one third to the assistance made available by the European Union. The Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, with whose statement on behalf of the European Union we fully associate ourselves, will point out some details with regard to EU-aid to Afghanistan.

Another pressing problem remains the indiscriminate use of landmines in a country where 10 million landmines pose a daily threat to the health and the lives of the civilian population. Since 1994, Germany has provided -- in addition to the amount mentioned for humanitarian assistance -- DM 8.4 million for mine-clearance activities. We will continue our support in 1998.

The draft resolution I am introducing today covers both humanitarian and political questions. In its humanitarian part -- part A -- it calls upon the international community to respond to the inter-agency consolidated appeal for emergency humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance to Afghanistan for the year 1998. It urges all Afghan parties to prevent the looting of United Nations premises and food supplies, not to hamper the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to grant access to those in need. It demands that the Afghan parties ensure the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and other humanitarian personnel, as well as the security of their premises in Afghanistan. It denounces the continuing discrimination against women and girls, other human rights violations in Afghanistan and their adverse effects on relief and reconstruction programmes. It calls upon the Afghan parties to fully respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, in particular of women and girls. Finally, the draft resolution calls upon the organizations of the United Nations system to cooperate fully in the adoption and implementation of a principle-centred approach to the gender issue in Afghanistan, as recommended by the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs.

In its political part -- part B -- the draft resolution expresses the conviction that there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict. It calls upon the Afghan parties to cease all armed hostilities immediately and to engage without preconditions in a political dialogue aimed at achieving a lasting political settlement. It condemns continued foreign military support to the Afghan parties and calls upon all States concerned to end such practices immediately. It encourages the Secretary-General to pursue the question of preliminary studies on the imposition of an effective arms embargo. It supports the call by the Secretary-General for the establishment of a solid international framework in order to address the external aspects of the Afghan question. In this respect, it calls upon all interested States and international organizations to use any influence they have in Afghanistan constructively and in support of and in close coordination with the United Nations.

The draft resolution expresses deep concern over the flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and requests the Secretary-General to continue to investigate fully reports of mass killings of prisoners of war and civilians and incidents of rape in Afghanistan. Preliminary reports reaching us from the region about the visit of Mr. Choong-Hyun Paik, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights for Afghanistan, underline the urgency of this request. Furthermore, the draft resolution deplores the civilian casualties inflicted by the indiscriminate use of landmines and calls upon all Afghan parties to desist from such use.

Also in its political part, the draft resolution expresses appreciation for the efforts made by the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, headed by Mr. Norbert Holl, and the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi. The draft resolution renews the mandate of the United Nations Special Mission and charges it specifically with continuing its efforts to bring about an immediate and durable ceasefire among the Afghan parties and to institute a negotiating process leading to the formation of a fully representative, broad-based transitional government of national unity. Like part A of the draft, part B denounces the continuing discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan and also demands that all Afghan parties ensure the safety and full freedom of movement of United Nations personnel.

In accordance with previous resolutions on Afghanistan, the draft resolution my country is introducing today states that the main responsibility for finding a peaceful solution to the conflict lies with the Afghan parties. At the same time, it follows a somewhat wider approach by also acknowledging the importance of the external aspects of the Afghan conflict. Thus, this draft resolution calls for a response from the Afghan parties as well as from the States with influence in Afghanistan. Peace would best be served if both the Afghan parties and the States with influence over them responded by making the United Nations their framework for a renewed and sincere effort aimed at a lasting political settlement of the conflict, based on the principles contained in the text before us.

We hope that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus. The General Assembly would thus be sending a strong message to the Afghan parties and the States with influence in Afghanistan -- a message saying that we unanimously and strongly support the efforts of the Secretary-General, his Special Envoy and the United Nations Special Mission in Afghanistan; a message saying that we want the Afghan parties to renounce the military option and want the States with influence in Afghanistan to use their influence constructively in support of the United Nations; and a message saying that we continue to care about the Afghan civilian population, its human rights and its suffering after 18 years of war.

Mr. Takht-Ravanchi (Iran)

The situation in Afghanistan continues to be a source of grave concern to the international community in general and to the countries of the region in particular. The vicious cycle of violence and fratricide continues to take a heavy toll on the innocent and defenceless people, with no end in sight to this meaningless bloodshed. As the Secretary-General states in his report contained in paragraph 53 of document A/52/682,

"Afghanistan's civil war has continued to exact a staggering toll in terms of human lives and suffering as well as material destruction."

This devastating war has not only inflicted enormous damages to the country's infrastructure, taking it many years backward, but has also caused tremendous hardships to the people, who are in desperate need of food, medicine and other humanitarian necessities.

Adding to the misery is the imposition of harsh restrictions against the Afghan people, in particular women and children. Discrimination against religious and ethnic groups has further exacerbated the crisis. Unfortunately, these restrictions are being imposed in the name of Islam. As a great and divine religion, Islam has never prescribed these policies and practices, which are indeed in total contradiction with its lofty principles.

Equally disturbing is the illegal movement of criminals and the illicit traffic in arms and narcotics in that country, which is creating a state of insecurity and instability in the region and beyond. The continuation and prolongation of the conflict in Afghanistan has indeed provided the grounds for increasing these illegal activities, and, unfortunately, some warring factions rely on drug trafficking as a source of their income.

A clear and unquestionable lesson drawn from the chronic crisis in Afghanistan is that this conflict cannot and will not be settled through military operations. Such an obvious reality, to our great regret, has yet to be realized by certain warring factions in Afghanistan. The Afghan leaders should understand by now that only through dialogue and understanding can they overcome their differences and rebuild their ruined country.

As a neighbouring country, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continuously and wholeheartedly endeavoured to bring about a negotiated settlement to the crisis. In our communications with all the Afghan parties, we have always emphasized that a military solution is only an illusion and that a political solution must begin with the establishment of a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities, followed by negotiations among all Afghan groups towards the establishment of a broad-based government representing all Afghans. In all of our peacekeeping efforts, we have always reiterated the necessity of coordination with the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). We are convinced that only through the coordinated action of regional countries, the United Nations and the OIC can one impress upon the Afghan leaders the need to leave aside their differences and start a genuine intra-Afghan dialogue.

Earlier this month, in a continuation of our contacts with all factions, Afghan leaders, commanders and religious figures were invited to the Iranian city of Isfahan to promote political dialogue and peace among themselves. The Isfahan conference adopted a resolution and sent a message to the participants of the eighth OIC summit in Tehran which calls, inter alia, for the establishment of an immediate ceasefire and the beginning of an intra-Afghan dialogue.

Last week, the eighth Islamic summit in Tehran adopted a resolution on the situation in Afghanistan. The summit, while recalling the relevant United Nations resolutions on Afghanistan, inter alia, calls upon the Afghan parties to establish an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. The resolution further calls for respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and for non-interference in its internal affairs. It emphasizes the need for continued close coordination of efforts between the OIC and the United Nations in promoting a peaceful political settlement in Afghanistan by setting up a credible intra-Afghan mechanism. The resolution also encourages the continuing cooperation between the efforts of the OIC and the United Nations Special Mission.

As the Chairman of the OIC for the next three years, the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to find an amicable solution to the crisis in tandem with all peacemaking efforts, particularly those of the United Nations Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the OIC. The Islamic Republic of Iran, for its part, will also continue to render humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. Our practice of the past 19 years has been to take numerous measures to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people. These measures have ranged from hosting millions of Afghan refugees to building hospitals and medical centres and providing food and non-food assistance. This is indicative of the fact that we cannot be indifferent to the plight of our Afghan brethren, who have been suffering from a senseless war. It is incumbent upon the international community to respond favourably to the humanitarian needs of the people of Afghanistan. The Afghan factions, for their part, should put the interests of their people above all and refrain from placing deliberate restrictions on the access of humanitarian organizations to some parts of the country.

Finally, we would like to reiterate once again our support for the work of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan and the efforts made by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan.

Mr. Sharma (India)

Since the General Assembly last considered the situation in Afghanistan on 13 December 1996 and adopted resolution 51/195, the political and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated further. The civil war continues to exact a staggering toll in terms of human lives and suffering as well as material destruction. I should like to convey our deep concern at this tragic situation for the people of Afghanistan. The continuing war has resulted in immense suffering for them for the last two years. We are saddened at the continuance of the fratricidal conflict in Afghanistan, with which we have an ancient historical association. Developments in Afghanistan also have a direct bearing on the security of countries in the region, and peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the security interest of all countries in the region, including India.

It is unfortunate that the fighting and polarization of forces has taken place on ethnic lines, thus making it more complicated to find a peaceful political solution. The Secretary-General, in his report contained in document A/52/682, has noted with concern that the deepening division of the country along ethnic lines, reinforced by external military and political support, continues to inhibit efforts to engender political dialogue among the factions. It should be the endeavour of all concerned to ensure that this tendency -- this polarization -- is not exacerbated. The maintenance of the structure of Afghanistan as a State is important for the stability of the entire region. There is an Afghan national personality which transcends ethnic consciousness. The efforts of the international community should be to sustain and strengthen that personality and not to sharpen ethnic cleavages. This has to be carefully understood and followed by all who have a genuine interest in the welfare of Afghanistan. Only a genuine power-sharing arrangement in which all Afghanistan people have representation can bring a lasting peace to that country. Peace in Afghanistan should not be held hostage to considerations of strategy but should be based on consideration of the well-being of its people.

We agree with the Secretary-General's observations on inter-Afghan talks and support his efforts to be in contact with the warring parties with a view to preparing the ground for an intra-Afghan dialogue. We sincerely hope such a dialogue will be launched soon and that it will focus at first on a ceasefire and the demilitarization of Kabul, to be followed by political negotiations leading to the establishment of a broad-based representative government.

The success of intra-Afghan dialogue requires the immediate cessation of all foreign interference and intervention in Afghanistan. We believe that such interference and intervention continue to be the main obstacles to any efforts for achieving genuine peace in Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan deserve an opportunity to give peace a chance free from such outside interference. The unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan must be respected by all.

We appreciate the efforts that the Secretary-General has made over the past year in this field. Mr. Norbert Holl, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, and Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, who have worked tirelessly for achieving tangible progress, are also worthy of our commendation. Our commitment to the efforts of the United Nations in achieving a durable peace in Afghanistan is total. We believe, however, that international diplomatic efforts on Afghanistan cannot and should not be confined to only a limited group of countries but should take advantage of the positive and constructive role which can be played by those countries that have an interest in, an influence on and can contribute to peace in Afghanistan.

Last year when this subject was discussed in the General Assembly, my delegation expressed concern about reports of terrorist training camps and the problem of illicit production of and trade in narcotics. These are problems which affect the neighbouring countries, as well as those farther away from Afghanistan. In his report the Secretary-General has rightly described the civil war in Afghanistan as a fire which is unlikely to remain indefinitely confined to Afghanistan. He has also rightly warned that the fire is already spreading beyond the borders of Afghanistan, posing a serious threat to the region and beyond in the shape of terrorism, banditry, narcotics trafficking, refugee flows and increasing ethnic and sectarian tension. The recent attack on tourists in Luxor, Egypt, by terrorists reportedly trained in such camps and the report that the bulk of the narcotics reaching Europe originates in Afghanistan illustrate the magnitude of the problem and the urgency of finding a peaceful settlement of the civil war in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is home to an ancient civilization. The deterioration of its cultural heritage, which is a common legacy of all mankind, is for us a matter of grave concern. We call upon all parties to the conflict to take effective steps to protect and safeguard the cultural heritage of Afghanistan.

We are concerned at the violation and abuse of human rights in Afghanistan. We particularly deplore the violence and discrimination against women and their deprivation of their human rights. We join other Members of the United Nations in calling for measures to ensure effective participation of women in civil, cultural, economic, political and social life in Afghanistan. We also call for ensuring the right of women and girls to education at all levels, equal access for them to health facilities and respect for their right to work.

The Secretary-General's report on emergency assistance to Afghanistan, contained in document A/52/536, highlights the alarming dimensions of the humanitarian crisis and the vital need for rebuilding the social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan. We agree with the Secretary-General's observation that against the background of an unpredictable political and military situation in Afghanistan, where daily clashes continue, humanitarian relief assistance remains critical for the survival of the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict. With winter having already set in, the humanitarian situation has worsened, and there is an urgent need to respond immediately to those who are most in need. It is disturbing to note that the supply of humanitarian assistance to affected people in certain regions is being hampered for political advantage.

Despite serious resource constraints, India has consistently contributed to the relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, both bilaterally and through United Nations agencies. The humanitarian assistance supplied by India includes foodstuffs, medicine, clothing and so on. We recently sent tea and medicine to Mazar-i-Sharif. We conducted a month-long camp in Kabul during August and September 1996 for fitting Afghan amputees with artificial limbs. Over 1,100 such limbs were fitted. We set up another such camp in Sheberghan, northern Afghanistan in May 1997. However, due to sudden changes in the situation there, this had to be called off prematurely.

India has pledged to provide humanitarian assistance through the United Nations, in addition to bilateral assistance, to the tune of 33 million rupees this year. We remain committed to continued provision of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

India and Afghanistan have close civilizational affinities and are bound by ties of brotherhood, friendship and cooperation in many areas. We fully support the efforts of the United Nations in Afghanistan and will continue to play a positive and constructive role, as hitherto, in international diplomatic efforts to restore peace and tranquillity in Afghanistan.

Mr. Lavrov (Russia)

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